“The CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ pledge is testament to the responsibility that business leaders have in advancing opportunity, equality and fairness,” said Thomas. “It’s through shared values and engagement that we will realize the true potential of our people, organizations, and communities to build a better and more equitable world. It is our honor and duty to do our part in ensuring that this potential is fulfilled.”
At Reed Smith, diversity and inclusion is a core tenet. For more than 15 years, the firm has had in place an enterprise-wide and formal Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) initiative, led by its Global Chair of D&I, and supported by a firm wide D&I Committee. Driving forward beyond traditional D&I efforts, our mission is to transform our culture and the wider legal profession to embrace and celebrate our diversity through a culture of equality and inclusiveness. As a global law firm, our senior leaders are committed to implementing change and valuing that our diversity around the world makes us stronger, and leads to the best results for our clients.
To further the mission, Reed Smith is focused on driving change and inclusion efforts through incentives for its Practice and Industry Group Leaders, Office Managing Partners, Hiring Committees and through the promotion process led by our Global Department Chairs. The firm supports its diverse attorneys through a number of Affinity Groups, including African American/Black, Asian, Disabled, Hispanic/Latino, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT), and Veterans, as well as our Women’s Initiative Network of Reed Smith (WINRS), in each case, focused on the recruitment, retention, and professional development of our diverse attorneys. Reed Smith is transforming its culture through “tone at the top” messaging and grassroots training, mentoring and sponsorship programming focused on inclusive behavior and actions.
In addition to signing the CEO Action pledge, the firm has demonstrated leadership on driving progress through diversity and inclusion in the legal profession via its membership on the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity and as a recipient of the Women in Law Empowerment Forum Gold Standard Certification for five consecutive years. Furthermore, earlier this year the firm held its inaugural Diversity Summit in Philadelphia, hosting over 200 attendees, consisting of Reed Smith diverse and non-diverse attorneys and over 70 clients and guests. The Summit brought together a wide variety of attorneys and experts dedicated towards the advancement of diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. The day and a half conference featured over 25 speakers on a wide variety of topics, and was highlighted by the keynote speaker from the United Nations on the new UN Global Compact Guide for Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
About Reed Smith
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Its long-standing relationships, international outlook and collaborative structure make it a go-to partner for speedy resolution of complex disputes, transactions, and regulatory matters.
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